Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) continues to raise the bar nationally, earning multiple honors at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 23–27 in Atlanta, Georgia. CVCC’s SkillsUSA Chapter proudly brought home four gold medals, three silver medals, one bronze medal, and multiple top ten finishes—further cementing its reputation as one of the top programs in the country.

More than 18,000 students and advisors from across the U.S. and its territories gathered to compete in over 110 hands-on technical, trade, and leadership contests. Among them were 537 outstanding competitors representing North Carolina, including 19 students from CVCC who participated in 10 different events.

Fifteen of CVCC’s competitors earned national recognition, a remarkable achievement that included:

Gold Medalists:

• Piper Strong (Job Skill Demonstration – Open)

• Cristian Cantera, Jessica Frierson & Diana Tellez-Chavez (Outstanding Chapter)
• Annie Barnes (Screen Printing)

Silver Medalists:

• Riley Land, Saarah Majeed, Dhyan Patel & Xavier Springs (Entrepreneurship)

• Aidan Stickle (Internet of Things)

• Rylan Johnson & Marcus Sigmon (Robotics: Urban Search & Rescue)

Bronze Medalists:

•Novie Aanonson, Isaac Carter & Gunnison Gunter (Promotional Bulletin Board)

Top National Finishes:

• Luis Cruz & Abril Murillo-Gomez – 7th place (Digital Cinema Production)

• Lydia Owens – 9th place (Photography)

• Nicole Morales – 12th place (Advertising Design)

In addition to these individual and team awards, CVCC was honored as a “Gold Chapter of Distinction” for the ninth consecutive year, and for the twelfth year in a row, received the prestigious “Outstanding Chapter” Award, recognizing overall excellence and national leadership in SkillsUSA programming.

“Our SkillsUSA advisors are the true heroes of this story,” said Tammy Muller, Executive Director of Strategic Business Partnerships and SkillsUSA at CVCC. “They’re not just competition coaches—they are mentors, advocates, and role models who inspire leadership, professionalism, and excellence in every student they serve.”

CVCC credits this success to its unwavering institutional support. “We offer heartfelt thanks to Dr. Garrett Hinshaw and the CVCC Executive Team for their continued belief in our students and the mission of SkillsUSA,” Muller said.

SkillsUSA plays a transformative role in student development, preparing young professionals with the technical and leadership skills needed in today’s workforce. CVCC’s continued national recognition shows how deeply this mission is embedded in the college’s culture. To learn more about CVCC’s SkillsUSA Chapter and how to get involved, contact Tammy Muller at (828) 327-7000 x4323 or [email protected].